Graduation Gift
by redpixel
Summary: After the battle with Nyx, a true friend was lost through the greatest sacrifice. This story is about the female protagonists recovery after she went to sleep on graduation day.


**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

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This is an epilogue to the ending of Persona 3. This one is based around the female protagonist seen in Persona 3 Portable.

My character was named Chiaki Otsuka. The given name Chiaki, as far as I'm aware, can have multiple meanings depending on how it is written. I went for the meaning 'thousand autumns.' It is a beautiful name.

The family name Otsuka, I believe, has ties to samurai in history. I wasn't so fussed about the meaning this time, but I saw it more as a loose connection to how she could wield a naginata so well. Even if these meanings aren't completely accurate, I tried to put a bit of thought into the naming of my character. Take it how you will anyway. I think the name is lovely.

My character romanced Akihiko during the game. Don't expect much on the romance side though. I wanted to focus more on the emotions shown by all of the characters, rather than just one or two.

I hope you enjoy it anyway. It's my attempt at a heart-warming ending. I hope the emotions that I felt are somewhat conveyed in my writing.

Thanks for your time. And thank you to Atlus for making such wonderful video games.

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**GRADUATION GIFT**

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_It sure is peaceful._

With this thought, Chiaki's consciousness started to drift. Her eyelids felt heavy. Even the onslaught from Nyx weeks before was nothing compared to this. She struggled to stay awake.

"Don't worry. I will always be by your side."

A familiar voice mixed with the sounds of the spring breeze.

_Aigis. Aigis is here with me._

A faint smile crept over Chiaki's face. She had protected what was dear to her. It was a sacrifice that not many would make.

_I don't regret my actions._

Everything dulled as a peaceful haze washed over Chiaki's body. She could hear the faint sounds of her friends arriving. They had made a promise to meet here on graduation day.

_The sunlight feels good._

Everything turned white. Chiaki could no longer hear the ambience of her world. She could see Aigis' lips moving, but could not hear the words.

_This…_

Chiaki could not form the words in her mind. She was free of thoughts and consciousness.

* * *

The group arrived at the rooftop moments later. Aigis met their stares with tears in the corners of her eyes. Even though she was feeling upset, she still produced a smile for her friends.

In their hearts, they knew that Chiaki couldn't go on any longer. She had performed a miracle that night. This was the cost of that miracle. It was something as simple as a promise that let her live to this moment. It gave her the strength to see these days through, weeks after she had truly given her life.

Fuuka and Yukari were the first to break the silence. Their desperate attempts at holding back the tears had failed.

The spring breeze now resonated with the sounds of laughter and sorrow.

They were happy to be alive. They were happy that they had remembered everything. They were so proud of their friend. Yet nothing could fill the gaping emptiness that they now felt inside.

_It is the strangest of feelings, _Mitsuru thought to herself as she smiled with tear-filled eyes.

* * *

**THE NEXT YEAR**

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_Light. Pure light. Where is this?_

"This is my gift to you."

A voice penetrated through the silence. Chiaki could barely hear what it was saying.

_What's happening?_

Chiaki's memory began to clear. Words and thoughts flowed into her mind. It felt strange. It was cold, yet comforting.

"Who's there?" Chiaki screamed in a hoarse voice.

_Is that how my voice sounds? It feels like it's been so long._

The light began to lift moments later, withdrawing into a rectangular shape. The heavy atmosphere shifted into something much more familiar.

Things started to come into focus moments later. It was a light. Not the kind of engulfing light that she had seen moments before, but the kind that lit a room. She attempted to look around.

_I know this place._

Chiaki felt like a weight had been lifted from her mind. Her vision was still hazy though. She could make out that she was in a bed, at least.

She directed her line of sight to her right where she could see a girl sitting next to the bed. The girl was holding a magazine, scanning the pages with an intense stare.

As Chiaki's vision began to clear, she could finally identify the person.

"Rio?"

The girl sitting next to the bed was Rio Iwasaki. She was a good friend to Chiaki during her time at tennis club. Rio had decided she wanted to become a professional tennis player through a scholarship after high school. It was no surprise that the magazine she was staring so intently at was also tennis related.

Rio looked up, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Huh? I…"

Rio attempted to say something but choked on the words. She proceeded to pinch her own cheek, as if checking that she was awake.

She paused for a moment. "Chiaki?" Rio sounded torn up.

Everything felt familiar, yet new at the same time. Chiaki's memories were flowing back into her at a phenomenal speed. She even recognised the room she was in.

_Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. This was Chidori's room._

Chiaki attempted to pull herself up in the bed a little. She felt weak.

"Rio. Did Kenji ever return your feelings for him?"

It was the first random thought that had rushed into Chiaki's mind. She felt fresh, yet still reeling from wherever she had been.

Rio blushed a little, a wide grin spreading over her face.

"I knew you'd be concerned about others. You're always like that." Rio chuckled.  
"Me and Kenji have been dating for about seven months now. He's still eyeing up older women though. The idiot."

"I'm happy for you", said Chiaki as she produced her radiant smile. It was a smile that Rio had not seen in such a long time.

Chiaki stopped to gather her thoughts for a moment. "I remember falling asleep on the school roof. How long has it been?"

Rio stood up, still clearly in a state of disbelief as her magazine dropped to the floor.

"I can't believe you even woke up.  
"You've been in a coma for almost a year now. Tomorrow is graduation day. Your friends from the dorm have been visiting each day. They were here earlier too."

Rio took a deep breath, as if she was finding it difficult to withstand the weight of her heart at this moment.

"Even Bebe and Hasegawa-san came to visit!" Rio laughed to herself. "That Bebe was in a state. He got asked to leave the hospital one day for screaming 'Chiaki-sama!' and disturbing the other patients."

Chiaki and Rio laughed together just like they had in tennis club. Everything felt so normal again. Although Chiaki had given her life to defeat Nyx, she was somehow conscious in her own world again.

The pair talked until the early hours of the morning. Rio had so much to tell Chiaki, so many feelings and experiences that she wanted to share. The doctors that visited had said that Chiaki was in a very stable condition, although she was still physically weak.

"They don't usually let guests visit when they want, but I heard that Kirijo-senpai really put her foot down for this case.  
"She's taken over some of the duties as head of the Kirijo family now. Top of her agenda was your treatment. I don't think any of us wanted to give up on you.

"The doctors said you were as good as dead. You still had some extremely faint signs of life though. They kept you on life support for a while. Then all of a sudden you started breathing again. They've kept you here under very close examination since then."

Rio exhaled a huge sigh of relief and smiled once more.

"I still can't believe it. The others are going to go nuts. I would have phoned someone already, but I had a better idea."

Rio sat down on her chair once more, this time with a sly grin on her face.

"You want to surprise them by showing up at graduation tomorrow?"

"That sounds like a great idea." Chiaki replied.

"Okay, so I'll rush back to my place and get my summer uniform so that you can look the part. It should fit you… Is that okay?" Rio sounded excited.

"Sounds good to me."

"Even though you're still pretty weak, the doctor says you're more than stable. You're allowed to leave as long as you don't go overexerting your self. I remember how you used to go past your limits at tennis practice." Rio was barely stopping to breathe at this point.

Rio leaned forward and gave Chiaki a light hug. Chiaki still felt so weak, but she wouldn't pass up on this wonderful warmth.

"What's Akihiko doing now?" Chiaki said.

"Sanada-senpai? I hear he went to college in the end. He's going to be present for tomorrow's graduation, same with Kirijo-senpai. I think they all wanted to reunite on the day you fell asleep. Some of the teachers seemed against it, but I think Ms. Toriumi gave them permission in the end." Rio pauses as if feeling guilty for talking too much.

"Oh yeah! You guys were dating for a while, weren't you? I'm sure he'll be psyched then. I hear he's still single."

"He's always been hopeless around women", Chiaki replied.

Chiaki let out a great laugh; a laugh she'd been holding back for so long. Rio laughed alongside her as a single tear of joy flowed down her left cheek.

"Well, I'd better go get my stuff. I think I'll be sleeping here tonight. Keep you company. And tomorrow is going to be a great day."

"Yeah, I can't wait", replied Chiaki.

"I'm so happy right now. I never thought we'd speak again, Chiaki."

Chiaki beamed a smile towards Rio. She was right. Tomorrow was going to be a great day.

* * *

They had waited until everyone was in the assembly hall before making their entrance into the school. Rio had skipped her own presentation to help Chiaki get here safely. Chiaki had to use a pair of crutches to support her own weight.

She didn't exactly look as presentable as she once did.

She had put on the summer uniform quite roughly. Rio had helped her, but Chiaki was too excited about seeing her friends again. She had forgot to put on her socks. She walked along the entrance to the school with the majority of her legs on show.

_I'd have definitely been feeling this if it were winter._

She had also neglected to tie her hair up, the wavy lengths of deep brown flowing in the breeze as she walked. Dark rings sat under her eyes, and she was looking pale.

She looked weak, terribly weak. But the thought of seeing her friends again filled her with so much strength inside.

* * *

Arriving at the school's rooftop, Rio pushed open the door. Aigis sat watching the scenery in somewhat of a daze. She was completely unaware of Rio and Chiaki's presence.

Chiaki approached Aigis…

_She still looks the same._

It felt like it had been so long since they shared this view together.

"It's still a great view", remarked Chiaki.

Aigis spun around so fast that Chiaki swore she could hear something malfunctioning. Her eyes widened as she welled up with tears.

"Chiaki-san…"

Aigis stepped forward and hugged Chiaki. Seeming somewhat embarrassed, Aigis stepped away quickly.

"I said I would always be by your side. You woke up and I was not present. I feel like I have failed in my duty."

Chiaki let out a soft laugh before stepping forward and placing her hands on Aigis' shoulders.

"Don't worry about it. You have never failed me. Never. I missed you, Aigis."

"Thank you, Chiaki-san..."

Aigis looked like she was about to overload with raw emotions at this point.

"...Your words are as moving as they ever were."

Over the sounds of Aigis crying, Chiaki could faintly hear the group on their way to the rooftop.

"Well, I'll be off now, Chiaki." Rio said. "I'll visit again soon. I really am glad that you're back. Call me if you need anything."

With a quick wink and a smile, Rio left Chiaki and Aigis alone on the rooftop for the reunion.

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"I think you'd be surprised with the results!" Yukari said in an excited voice.

"Is that so? Maybe I'll try that then", Mitsuru replied.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Fuuka chirped in.

Yukari continued walking before bumping into Junpei. "Ow! What gives, Junpei?"

"Is this really happening?" Junpei exclaimed.

The group had halted in disbelief. Any conversation that they were having died in an instant.

Standing before them on the rooftop was Aigis, who was now staring at them with a huge smile. Chiaki stood next to Aigis, her weak features producing the most wonderful smile they had ever seen.

"Otsuka…" Mitsuru mumbled to herself.

Fuuka and Yukari broke into a frenzied sprint towards her.

Akihiko got a step ahead of the group and embraced Chiaki in a rough manner. Although it took her by surprise, Chiaki was happy.

"This is real", Akihiko convinced himself.

Akihiko stepped back, quite embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine. I missed you."

"I missed you more than anything in the world. We all did."

"Heyyyyyyy!" Junpei cried out.

The group surrounded Chiaki. Ken Amada was struggling to see through the bodies that had now formed around Chiaki. Koromaru was barking in delight.

They hadn't changed much, but the group somehow felt different. They felt more like a family now.

_Fuuka's hair's grown, definitely.  
__Yukari looks more beautiful; more mature even.  
__Ken's taller!  
__Akihiko looks just the way he did.  
__Mitsuru hasn't changed much either.  
__Koro-chan, awwww!  
__Junpei isn't wearing his cap!_

All of these thoughts were rushing through Chiaki's mind. Her cheeks were now glowing through smiling so much.

The group spent as much time together as possible. They all had so much to tell Chiaki and it was a tough contest for her attention. They tried to fit in as much leisure time as they could without tiring out Chiaki.

There wasn't enough time in one day to make up for the time that they had lost. They had been gifted the life of a dear friend that they thought was gone. So many emotions were in the air that day.

* * *

That night, Chiaki returned to the hospital. Aigis vowed to stay by her side, and Akihiko also refused to go anywhere.

"Well, I'm going to go visit Chidori and tell her all about today! This is so great!" Junpei exclaimed with his trademark grin.

"I'm happy for you, Junpei. Say hi to Chidori for me."

"You betcha!"

Junpei left. Mitsuru decided to follow suit.

"I have business to attend to, as much as I hate to say it. The Kirijo group requires most of my time now." Mitsuru stopped as she started to walk out. "It's good to have you back, Otsuka."

Chiaki smiled Mitsuru's way. They acknowledged each other's feelings through a slight nod.

"I'll be going too." Ken chirped in. "Someone needs to visit Shinjiro-san and report this."

"Take care. Come visit again soon", said Chiaki.

Ken seemed to blush slightly before bowing his head and following Mitsuru.

Yukari and Fuuka seemed very reluctant to leave. After more tears of joy had been shed and Yukari managed to prise Fuuka away from Chiaki, they also bid her farewell. They were apparently planning a big meal for the next day, to celebrate Chiaki's recovery.

* * *

Chiaki felt a familiar feeling in her dreams that night. It reminded her of her visits to the Velvet Room.

This time though, she was surrounded by a yellow coloured landscape.

A great gate stood before her. There was a stone figure that resembled Chiaki placed on the great gate like a giant padlock.

A familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of Chiaki.

_Elizabeth?_

Elizabeth stepped forth, standing in front of the great gate. She had the Persona compendium tucked under her left arm.

"It is good to see you again", remarked Elizabeth.

Chiaki met Elizabeth's stare, but failed to respond.

Elizabeth slowly pointed towards the gate.

"This is the great seal. It is the miracle that you performed on that day. Nyx sleeps beyond this gate."

Chiaki struggled to find words. It wasn't that she didn't know what to say. She just couldn't speak.

"I have relieved the great seal of as much life force as I was able to. I can still keep it in tact with what is left.  
"I am the one that gave that life force back to you."

Elizabeth stepped closer towards Chiaki.

"Now I must take on a new role. I will become the guardian of this place. Without a guardian, the seal will fail. I could give you your life back and leave this place, but Nyx would soon return."

A thunderous roar shook the area around them.

_What was that?_

Chiaki scanned the area. A hulking shadow creature had appeared on the horizon. It was heading towards the gate.

"Do not concern yourself with this place. When you showed me your world, you gave one such as me a purpose. I could not have found this purpose had we never met.  
"I cannot undo your sacrifice. Your soul is still bound to this seal. If I could take your place, I would have done so."

Elizabeth pauses for a moment as if lost in deep thought.

"This is the path I have chosen.  
"I want to protect you. I want you to spend your life with your friends. I want you to have children and pass on your knowledge and feelings. I want those children to grow up with the greatest mother they could wish for. I want you to live everyday with a full heart and savour every moment.

"Until the day of your natural death, I shall protect this seal. When that happens, your life force shall return here. We shall fight this beast together and you can tell me all about the life that you lived."

Elizabeth and the great gate started to fade from view.

"This is my gift to you."

Chiaki couldn't form any words in response. It was almost like a message that Elizabeth had left her in her dreams. It was the voice that she had heard before she awakened in the hospital.

Elizabeth and the great gate faded completely from view.

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Chiaki awoke the next morning. Aigis and Akihiko were still present.

Akihiko was slouched in his chair with his face pressed against the wall, asleep. His hair was scruffy. It looked as though he'd been worrying all night.

Aigis got to her feet as Chiaki opened her eyes.

"I love you… Chiaki…" Akihiko mumbled in his sleep.

Chiaki and Aigis laughed together. It was a wonderful feeling to have this life back.

"Your friends will be visiting again today. They are all overwhelmed with happiness right now. As am I."

"I'm happy to be with you all again." Chiaki chirped in with a wide grin.

_I won't waste this gift you've given me Elizabeth. I will live for both our sakes. I'll have some great stories to tell you when we meet again._

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**THE END**


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